When I read the comments by a private consultancy in your ‘Investors in People under the spotlight’ news story (Personnel Today, 18 April), my first thought was: ‘They obviously don’t know much about Investors in People (IIP).’
My second thought was: ‘What’s the motive for their attack?’
Our organisation has worked with IIP UK, the regional quality centres, and both IIP-committed and recognised small and medium businesses, schools, councils and larger businesses for a number of years. I hear nothing but good about this business improvement standard for people.
I suggest its critics take a look at the results of a survey of nearly 2,000 organisations that work with the standard: 93% said it improved communications; 89% said it motivated the workforce; and 88% said it developed teamworking.
As an ex-sales and marketing manager at IIP-recognised companies, I found it provided a successful means of proving to potential customers that all our staff performed to a consistently high standard, and thereby contributed to our winning new contracts.
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IIP isn’t a trendy, fashionable management gimmick, or out to make a name for itself. It’s a proven, successful, established quality standard for people that is regularly updated to keep organisations stretching to meet today’s best practices. That’s why its numbers are still growing – perhaps to the envy of other, lesser-known organisations.
Paul St John Bennett
Head of workforce development, Business Link for Bedfordshire & Luton
